Winter 2016-17 Class Notes Photos
Toledo Gathering of Friends
Virginia Fairhurst Keller ’81, and her husband Steve hosted a small alumni gathering at their home in Perrysburg, Ohio on Nov. 2. Pictured from left to right: Tom Palmer ’69; J.B. Rorick ’78; President Rock Jones; Tom Brooks ’75; Suzanne Rorick ’80; Kelli Winston ’93; Susan Palmer; Virginia Keller ’81; Tim Zorn ’74; Thomas Winston ’92; Thomas Fairhurst P ’75, ’79, ’81; and Steve Keller.
Bishops Bond over Golf
In June, a group of alumni gathered in Colorado for an annual golf outing. Pictured here in front of an OWU blanket (from left): Rick Schaal ’60, Nancy Reynolds Schneider ’64, Patsy Belt Conrades ’63, Jon Hillegas ’60, and George Conrades ’61.
A Tradition of Service at Haitian Orphanage
Lizzy Wynne ’16 (left) and Emma Sparks ’16 are serving as volunteer coordinators for the Pwoje Espwa orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti. Sparks and Wynne represent the third straight round of OWU Kappa Alpha Theta women to hold the positions, following in the footsteps of Brenda Gable ’15, Rachel Vinciguerra ’14, Kate Raulin ’12, and Kelsey Ullom ’14. Ohio Wesleyan connected with Pwoje Espwa (“Project Hope”) through alumnus Doug Dittrick ’55, who has been influential in operating the facility.
’62 Classmates Reunite
For the third year in a row, classmates from the class of 1962 reunited in Rhode Island in August. Pictured from left to right: (back row) Bob Wright ’62 and Ward Ellsasser ’62, (front row) Linda Collins ’62, Anne Foresman Ellsasser ’62, Carol Cramp Schubert ’62 and Enid Parkinson Ford ’62.
Pi Phi Gathering Brings Bishop Spouses Together
Pi Phis from the 1950s keep in touch with frequent reunions at scenic locations around the country and through an annual newsletter. Several Pi Phis and their spouses met in Charlottesville, Va., for a “Road Scholar” program, including sightseeing, fun and laughs. From left to right: Jerry Ritter ’56, Jack Batty ’59, Jim Eickhoff ’58, and Bob Stevens ’58.
Up Close and Personal with U.S. Tennis Stars
Jeffrey Ryan ’86 is senior director for USA Team Events for the United States Tennis Association and was in Rio with the U.S. tennis team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is pictured here with U.S. tennis star Serena Williams.
Freyermuth-Steines Wedding
Julie Freyermuth ’01 was married to Mark Steines on Aug. 20 in Los Angeles. The wedding was a surprise to guests, who thought they were attending a fifth anniversary party for the groom’s Hallmark Channel TV show, Home & Family.
Kinzer-VanMeter Wedding
Adrianna “Anna” Kinzer ’11 was married to Jeremy VanMeter on May 14 in Delaware, Ohio. Joining in the celebration were, from left to right: Kelsey Kerstetter ’12, Kristen Kalinowski ’11, the groom and bride, Marisa Jones ’11, Sophie Rosenthal ’12, and Katie Hurley ’12.
Janca-Feliz Wedding
Katherine Janca ’07 married Luis Feliz on July 17 in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic.
Alumnus Supports Event to Enable Local Veterans
Rocco Donnino ’84 is founder of Cow Harbor Warriors in Northport, N.Y., a nonprofit organization that has donated more than $235,000 to local and national veterans organizations since its inception in 2012. Its mission is to honor and help veterans who were wounded as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom by raising funds and awareness and enlisting community support. Sept. 9-11 was Cow Harbor Warrior Weekend, an event organized to thank and help veterans to advance past their injuries. The organization housed and hosted 12 post-9/11 wounded veterans and their families for three days of appreciation, recreation, and celebration. Donnino (right) is pictured here with Bobby Henline (left), an Iraq War veteran, and Tim Scherer (middle), a Gold Star father whose son was killed in action in Iraq.
Sig Ep Fraternity Brothers Catch Up
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers gathered at the home of Mike Newcomb ’73 in September. Future gatherings are in the works, and other friends are welcome. Email Don Slobodien ’75 at donslobo@columbus.rr.com to be included. Pictured from left to right: (front row) Mike Newcomb ’73, Don Slobodien, Brad Zimmerman ’75, Chris Martin ’75, Dick Fowler ’75, (middle row) Roger Krohn ’75, (back row) Fred Schill ’75, Jon Peterson ’76, and Jeff Wagner ’75.
Swary-Hanak Wedding
Tyler Swary ’13 married Laney Hanak on June 10. Swary is in his fourth year teaching sixth-grade science and social studies at Napoleon (Ohio) Middle School. He is the defensive coordinator for the Napoleon Wildcats and also coaches eighth-grade basketball and junior high track. He lives in Napoleon with his wife and two dogs, Kylo and Kobe. Joining in the celebration were (from left): Clint Saunders ’13, Hayley Cook ’14, Nick Ziegenbusch ’13, Megan Bachelder ’13, Ericka Reese ’13, Tyler Sheetz ’13, Paul Murphey ’13, Tyler Swary, Matt Staveski ’10, Justin Segal ’14, Lauren Janowicz ’15, Brandon Cannon ’10, Chris Demecs ’14, Rebecca Overbeek ’14, and Seth Swary ’14.
Alumni Gather for Roundtable
Matt Palmer ’79 hosted an OWU alumni roundtable on Aug. 30 as part of the Columbus Foundation’s Big Table initiative. Palmer is co-founder and president of the Joseph Group, a premier capital management firm in Columbus with a focus on wealth and financial planning. Pictured from left to right: Farooq Busari ’10, Dr. Alice Simon, Wendy McCall Johnson ’74, Vernita Johnson ’95, Valorie Schwarzmann ’81, Kelly Burns, and Matt Palmer ’79.
Friendship on the High Seas
On a recent cruise, OWU alumni and Phi Gamma Delta brothers Hugh Pace ’74 and Dave Spence ’58 met and discovered their common university and fraternity roots. A new friendship evolved on a ship in the Baltic.